Archive for May, 2009

I have enjoyed watching the NBA playoffs this season. Like many basketball fans, I would love to see a Kobe Bryant – LeBron James matchup in the NBA finals.  I am not sure it is going to happen but it has been fun to watch these two incredible players lead their teams in this winner-take-all part of the season. Last night, I was blown away as LeBron led his Cavaliers to a must-win victory. He literally took his team upon his back and single-handedly won the game. He was responsible for 32 straight points in the fourth quarter (either scoring himself or dishing out an assist).  It was an unbelievable demonstration. The Cavaliers won the game and I was expecting the post-game commentators to rave about how incredible LeBron James is.  But that’s not what we got. Instead we received a great lesson on leadership disguised in basketball verbiage.

Sure the TNT trio (Barkley, the Jet, and Ernie) gave LeBron his well-deserved recognition for his performance but what they added to the discussion was fascinating.  What they talked about was how this type of performance was not sustainable in consecutive NBA playoff games.  Sure they were blown away by LeBron’s talent-on-display but they were discouraged by the type of effort that LeBron had to give in order for his team to win.  What they said was that a single player cannot continue to play at that high of a level without eventually breaking down.  Barkley said it well, “Everyone gets tired.”  His point was that LeBron was the only person on the Cavaliers team that was leading. Everyone else was simply playing off of LeBron’s leadership. They only scored when he set them up to score.  They were not empowered as individuals to contribute. They depended entirely upon their leader to enable them to contribute.

It was enjoyable to watch the Cavaliers come down the court for an entire quarter and simply give LeBron the ball at the top of the key and allow him to make plays. The other 4 players literally stood in a spot on the floor and waited for something to happen.  What was amazing is that LeBron came through time and time again. He was unstoppable.  But his style of leadership in that game led to a) his own fatigue which could be detrimental in subsequent games and b) an entire team that totally depended on their leader’s ability to create and produce.

Lesson learned.

I think a lot of leaders have a LeBron James style of leadership.  They are gifted and driven and so they do what they know how to do: lead.  They are willing to take the entire team on their shoulders and lead – especially in crunch time.  They drive the team. The success (or failure) of the team depends 100% on the leader.  Without his leadership, the team would be lost and directionless.  Second-tier players stand around and wait for the leader to set them up to succeed and in the end the entire team suffers.

I think there is definitely a time for this style of leadership. For example in church planting, there is a season when a new church is starting that the development of the church is primarily dependent upon a leader who has a God-given vision and is capable of implementing that vision along with a team of people who support the vision and enable the leader.  If the leader were to walk away during this season, the entire team would collapse.  That is a natural part of the process.

However there comes a time within church planting or any other organizational development when the leader must empower other people to be able to contribute and play a key role in the evolution of the organization.  If a leader does not take this step, the organization will become completely dependent upon the leader and soon he will become the “lid” to the continued success of the team.  As an organization grows and evolves, a quality leader must empower other people to learn to lead.  This will enable the organization to a) continue to grow without depending solely upon one individual and b) sustain itself if something happens to the primary leader.

I would also suggest that the “LeBron Syndrome” is a threat to leaders who continue to lead at a high capacity without developing other leaders. That leader will eventually get tired or burn out.  Fatigue is a guarantee for a person who leads at a high level for a long period of time.  Those of us who are high-capacity leaders have all experienced those seasons where we were ready to quit.  They are not fun and if we are not careful, they can lead to our demise as a leader and person.

I never expected to learn a lesson on leadership during a NBA playoffs game but the reminder I received last night was a good one.  Fans love to watch LeBron and we wish that he would have those type games every time he steps on the court but it is not possible.  He is human.  So while as a fan, I want to see LeBron lead at that level but as a critic and analyst would observe – his style of leadership will eventually result in the fall of the entire team.  LeBron will always be LeBron. He will always be a great leader/player but what has separated the Michael Jordans of the game from the rest is that Jordan learned how to lead and make other leaders step up in the process.  The verdict is still out on whether LeBron can take this step. If he does, he may create a franchise in Cleveland.  If he does not, he will be the greatest player in the world but only have a few, if any, championships to show for it.

Lesson learned.

I am officially 38 years old today! Wow – 2 years from 40. I don’t really feel close to 40. Time sure does fly. Hard to believe that I am approaching or have arrived at “middle age.” That is a frightening term. I don’t really spend a lot of time worrying about growing older and don’t really get into birthday hype but as I approach 40 I almost forced to think about life’s second half. The first half of the game has been interesting and crazy. I am sure the second holds equal excitement and adventure. And who knows … maybe I will get a little overtime as well!

Random thots from weekend …

- Finally saw Slumdog Millionaire this weekend. Good movie.
- It is officially hot in Vegas.
- Took the kids to see Night at the Museum 2. Funny.
- Got 5 new fish for my tank – kudos Nick Davi – our resident Marine Biologist.
- Great games in the NBA playoffs. Only time I watch NBA.
- Good day at GP in spite of the Memorial Day Weekend factor.
- Finished our Bailout series today.
- Really enjoyed this series.
- Taught on Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh today.
- Heart of this series: Sometimes God bails us out. Sometimes He does not. Sometimes He goes in an entirely different direction. Either way: He cares, is there, and can be trusted.
- His Grace is Sufficient for Me!
- His Strength is made perfect in my Weakness!
- Ron Dillon led our worship today. Broke a string in the first service but kept it together. Rocked it in second service. Way to go Ron.
- Finished the series with scaled down old school version of Christ the Solid Rock.
- I turn 38 this week. Scary.
- Golf in Vegas turns cheap for the next 3+ months!
- My middle daughter Ragan got glasses this weekend. She looks beautiful.

…and life keeps on rolling.

Just one reason I am glad Kris Allen won American Idol …

Quote I heard at Leadership Network that rings true:

“It is a struggle to get people who have struggled to help people who are struggling”

We all tend to have a “I got out – so can you” mentality!

This Sunday I am teaching on 2 Corinthians 12.7-10 – the “thorn in the flesh” passage.  Sometimes I have this misconception that God really likes some Christians better than others and that He tends to bless them more than He does others.  I have this faulty idea that God basically gives certain Christ followers whatever they want whenever they want it.  Now don’t get me wrong – I know in my head, theology, that this idea is totally false.  But sometimes I work under that type of mindset. I think its because many of us operate in our Christian lives like we are in the bottom half of the “good Christian” category. Sadly there is even a brand of Christianity that teaches God blesses those who are obedient more than those who are living with restricted faith or abundant sin in their lives.

Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” passage shatters this thinking. Paul was THE man when it came to influencers within Christianity. He was the guy who broke the racial-cultural barrier with the gospel. He was an ardent defender of the faith who stood before pseudo-religious gurus and philosophical geniuses and articulated the faith. He was church planter-extraordinaire.  He wrote half of the New Testament for crying out loud!  Some New Testament skeptics even suggest that Paul defined first century Christianity more than Jesus Himself!

If anyone had “direct access” to God and should have been able to get what he wanted in life, it seems like it would be Paul. And yet his life was marked by constant persecution and problems.  As a matter of fact, this passage informs us that Paul begged God to remove this “thorn in the flesh” in his life and yet God refused.  I have no idea what Paul’s thorn was. Some say it was physical. Others suggest it was mental or relational.  I have heard a few even imply it was his mother-in-law.  No one really knows.  What we do know is that it was an annoyance to Paul to the point he begged God to remove it.  Paul had the “if God would, then I could” mentality that marks many of our lives.  And yet God did not remove Paul’s thorn.

Instead, God provided what Paul really needed – GRACE.  We don’t always see our need for grace.  We see what we want and how much better life would be without x, y, or z.  But what God knows that we really need is grace.  We can’t always see what we don’t deserve.  We think primarily in terms of earning. And yet God knows that we need grace and so that’s what He gives – all-sufficient grace.  And somehow through this grace, God refines us. He makes us better. He puts us in a place where we learn to depend on His strength.

Truthfully when you compare what a human can do and what God can do, there is no comparison.  After all, He is …. well, GOD! And yet we so often try and live in our own strength and do things our own way as if we know better than … well, GOD!  And so God keeps us humble and dependent by placing “thorns” in our lives to remind us that we need grace.  And through these thorns, we are made stronger – not in our own strength but in His.

I am not sure I will ever have the “bring on the problems” mentality of the Apostle Paul.  But I do pray that somehow in my walk that I can learn that thorns are not there to frustrate me but to refine me. And through the thorns, the sufficient grace of God shines brightly.

I have been in Dallas this week hanging out with about 20 under-40 pastors from around the country. It is really cool to be a part of this network of young leaders.  We were given the opportunity today to go to a nearby Aviation Training Center and actually fly a Boeing 737 simulator. It was a blast and I realized quickly why they require a lot of training before they stick a person in a cockpit.  I don’t think I did too horrible but I did set off a few alarms during my time at the “wheel” including a severely annoying alarm that was screaming “Pull Up, Pull Up” … I guess they don’t want you the ground approaching that quickly.  From what I understand, the simulator is as close to the real thing as possible without actually jeapordizing the lives of real passengers.  I had a fun time and can now mark “fly a plane” off my to-do list (kinda).

- DMV / Car Service on Friday = lots of sitting and waiting

- Went to see Star Trek on Friday night. Decent but not blown away.

- Played golf in 100+ degree weather on Saturday. Didn’t play very good.

- Been battling the dreaded summer head cold. No fun.

- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is L-O-N-G. Not a bad movie just way too long.

- Kids been spending a lot time in the water this weekend!

- It is tough preaching with a head cold.

- Spoke on the 3 Hebrews this morning. Awesome story.

- “Even if” faith is crazy faith (check out Daniel 3.17-18).

- One more week in the Bailout series.

- Baptism coming up in 2 weeks.

- We had some express interest in the first GP mission trip to serve with our partners in the San Fran Bay area.

- I got a great nap on Sunday afternoon.

- Season finale of Survivor tonight!

- Headed to the Big D this week for Leadership Network.

Out

Sometimes I feel like I have a “because of” type faith.  In other words, I believe God because He has bailed me out in some way or somehow proven Himself to me.  My faith is often a by-product of God’s work.  This Sunday I am teaching on the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  These three young men demonstrated an “even if” type faith.  When hauled before the most powerful ruler in the world and told that if they did not bow down to his golden statue they would become human smores, they looked at Neb and said “We will not bow down because our God is able to save us from your fiery furnace and EVEN IF he does not, still we will trust Him.”

This statement blows my mind.  I think most God-followers profess a “because of” faith.  We often trust God because we believe He does and will bail us out of bad situations.  But what do we do when God allows us to be thrown in the furnace? What do we do when we try and make all the right decisions and life still beats us down? What do we do when we try and do the right thing and we still can’t pay the bills, or the relationship still ends, or our kids still rebel, or that loved one still suffers and dies?  What do we do when it seems like we have upheld our end of the bargain and tried to do right but God does not seem to uphold His end and we are provided no bailout?

I think most of us have a responsive type faith – as long as God acts in a way that makes sense to us, then we believe. But what do we do when God seems to act in a way that is totally opposite of how we think He should act?  What do we do when doing right does not equal blessings?  This story reminds me that faith is not just about what we do when God makes sense. Faith is also about the “even if” moments of life.  Even if my marriage is not restored … even if my kids continue down this path … even if I lose my job … even if my house goes into foreclosure … even if she dies … even if I am not cured … even if a leader lets me down … even if I am betrayed … even if life beats me up … even if my whole world falls apart, still I will trust Him.

In our Bailout series, we have been reiterating this truth over and over: sometimes God bails us out – sometimes He does not – but either way: He cares, He is there, and He can be trusted.  If we are somehow able to live that truth, then we can learn to trust during the “even if” moments of life! And by the way, the “even if” moments of life is when our faith is truly refined.

One of the advantages in living in the desert is getting to experience some outdoor activities that are somewhat unique to the Southwest.  Last Friday one of the special forces guys in our church, Dean Criswell (who is also married to our Community Service Director Ashley) took a group of us canyoneering. It was a blast.  We hiked and rappeled through one of the canyons in Zion National Park.  Only 25 people a day are allowed in this particular canyon and it includes rappels from about 40 feet to about 100.  You rappel into water at times that varies from knee deep to about 6 feet. We were able to see some incredible sites and enjoy some much needed adventure time.  Thanks Dean!  Here are a few pics. There are several more on my Facebook. Can’t wait to go again!

The “before” pose … wetsuit shows off my incredible physique!

The canyons are incredible!

Rappels into freezing cold water will wake you up!

Here is a 100 foot drop with no support wall! Fun stuff.

Coming down the 100 foot decent!

I kissed the ground when I safely arrived.

Incredible views of Creation at its best

We survived!